Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 12 November 2013

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage

6:10 pm

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The bottom line is there is no absolute definition of commercial sensitivity. Virtually everything these companies do is commercially sensitive. There is no doubt in any person's mind that they would be disadvantaged with regard to the private sector, which is not subject to freedom of information provisions. This is a simple, plain fact. They would be disadvantaged even from the point of view of the perception of those dealing with them if they were subject to freedom of information provisions while a competitor was not. This is self-evident, and however logical a presentation Deputy Donnelly gives, this is an inescapable fact, in my judgment. If the Deputy has a different judgment that is fine, but this is what I am presenting to the committee as the reasoning I propose for the exemption.

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